Indonesia and Australia Convene First Digital Conference

Media Release

30 January 2018

Australian and Indonesian experts from across the digital sector will convene in Jakarta this week for a two-day conference, the first of its kind between the two countries.

The Indonesia-Australia Digital Forum is an initiative of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who undertook to increase cooperation in science, technology and innovation when they met in Sydney last year.

Australians and Indonesians working in start-ups, fintech, digital health and government services, cyber security and the creative industries will attend the event, from January 31 to February 1.

On 31 January the Forum will focus on the five streams – creative industries, cyber security, digital health, fintech and start-ups, and smart government.

On 1 February, the main day of the Forum, high-level representatives from both Indonesia and Australia will participate in the opening plenary and a Next Big Things segment will introduce the latest digital developments to an expert audience. Both activities will be live streamed on the Australian Embassy’s Facebook page.

Australian Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Allaster Cox said Australia and Indonesia could both benefit from sharing ideas and expertise to capture the potential of digital trade and technology-enabled development.

"This Forum has been designed to generate new networks, partnerships and relationships that will benefit both our countries as we seek to seize the opportunities of the digital age,” he said.